Subject: Reimbursement Rates for the National School Lunch, School Breakfast,
and Special Milk Programs for School Year 2009–10

Reference: Federal Register, Volume 74, Number 134, July 15, 2009

This Management Bulletin (MB) updates the annual reimbursement rates for School Nutrition Programs (SNP) for school year (SY) 2009–10. These rates were posted on July 21, 2009, to the following California Department of Education (CDE) Web page at

Included with this MB are the federal reimbursement rates established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Special Milk Program (SMP), and Meal Supplements (Snacks) under the NSLP. Please note the following decreases:

The national average commodity value per lunch for SY 2009–10 is $0.1950, which is a decrease of $.0125 cents per meal from SY 2008–09.

The SMP “paid” rate for SY 2009–10 is $0.1600, which is a decrease of $.0225 per half pint from SY 2008–09.

Annual payments and rate adjustments for the NSLP and SBP reflect changes in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The annual rate adjustment for the SMP reflects changes in the Producer Price Index for Fluid Milk Products. All reimbursement rates (current and prior years) are available on the NSD Rates, Eligibility Scales, and Funding Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/rs/.

Please note that the appropriation for the State Meal Program and/or State Meal reimbursement for Proposition (Prop) 98 agencies may not be sufficient to fund all eligible meals throughout SY 2009–10, and the CDE anticipates that there may be a need to reduce this rate for the claiming months of May 2010 and June 2010. After the 2009–10 State Budget is passed and the CDE progresses through the year with actual meal count data, the CDE will update sponsors pertaining to any changes in State Meal reimbursement.

The current 2009-10 State Meal reimbursement rates apply as follows (see attached rate sheet for further details) for each free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch served at the following local educational agencies (LEA):